Chapter 19

I was still a fixture in the hospital so things were not peachy. I resented the fact that my door had to remain cracked open at night. I did not want to kill myself anymore so it was time for me to do the cruise. My psychiatrist set up a meeting with my family and doctors. They also asked the team leader to join us. I asked him to leave. He had no business hearing or even giving any input where it pertained to me. The man stayed which shows, once again, the lack of control in my life. The meeting ended with everyone agreeing that it was time for me to go home. I went home very angry because I had to stay in the hospital a full eight months. What a complete waste of time that was. I went home expecting a big change; no change was present though in my life.

I looked in the phone book and saw an ad for people who teach handicapped and/or nervous drivers. This was just what I was looking for so I gave them a call and started immediately. It took fourth months of slow repetitious practice before I was ready to get my license. I practiced parallel parking over and over again until I could do it perfectly. Then it came time to do it in front of a woman who held my fate in her hands. She told me to parallel park for her. I was petrified but I knew if I wanted my license I had to parallel park. I started going and stopped the car perfectly between the two polls, phew, that was a load off my mind. I was then told to go to the corner and make a right, I stepped on the gas and the car started to move, but it started to move backwards. The car I was driving was still in reverse and hit the poll and knocked it over. Need I say that it was not in the cards for me to become a licensed driver on that day?

A short time later, I went to the driver’s license bureau to try again.

This time the scared little girl put the automobile in D after I parked it perfectly. Everything else went off without a hitch. I then had the privilege of sitting down and having my cute little photograph taken. I believe that nothing is impossible as I now hold my drivers license.

Kathy brought Tom, her boyfriend, to our house for dinner. We sat down and they told us that they had eloped. Mom flipped out; she walked away and started yelling, “how could she do this to me!” when she found out. Mom loves Tom today; she couldn't have asked for a better son-in-law and next week, they celebrate their twenty-first wedding anniversary.